


Mountain (Pose) Man

by BensLostTookaCat (VillainTheBlank)



Series: Almost Heaven [3]
Category: Logan Lucky (2017), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Depression, Derogatory Language, F/M, Healing, Logan Lucky post-canon, Negative Thoughts, Orphan Rey (Star Wars), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Runaway Rey, These tags make this story sound much darker than it really is, Trauma, Yoga Instructor Rey, more tags to be added later, negative self-talk, previous GrayLogan (Agent Grayson x Clyde Logan), specifically Clyde uses derogatory language about his own mental health
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:17:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22821013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VillainTheBlank/pseuds/BensLostTookaCat
Summary: The world had gone crazy. Or maybe Clyde had gone crazy. Well, Clyde was definitelygoingcrazy; that’s why he was here, talking to a very soft-spoken man whose greying hair and beard, sweater vest, and glasses gave every appearance of being rational, approachable, and kind. And yet, this same seemingly-rational person had, very calmly and with every evidence of sincerity, suggested that Clyde take a Beginning Yoga class.“Yoga is a rigorously-tested technique with centuries of practice behind it; it can help us work through our emotions, both positive and negative, and help us to make peace with ourselves.”The therapist finished scribbling something on his notepad, then tore off the page, paperclipping it to a colorful flyer with a flower in the middle.Clyde looked at the therapist, then at the paper, then back at the therapist with utter incredulity.“A beginning yoga class.”~~~~~Clyde is suffering from a major depressive episode after the events of Logan Lucky, and checks himself into an intensive outpatient program to get help. After a week or so of treatment, his therapist recommends yoga as a complementary therapy.
Relationships: Clyde Logan & Rey (Star Wars), Clyde Logan/Rey (Star Wars), Clyde Logan/Sarah Grayson
Series: Almost Heaven [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619146
Comments: 17
Kudos: 32





	Mountain (Pose) Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TourmalineGreen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TourmalineGreen/gifts), [Melusine11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melusine11/gifts).

> This story stands alone from _Burned In My Memory_ and _Feeding a Fever._

* * *

The world had gone crazy. Or maybe Clyde had gone crazy. Well, Clyde was definitely _ going _crazy; that’s why he was here, talking to a very soft-spoken man whose greying hair and beard, sweater vest, and glasses gave every appearance of being rational, approachable, and kind. And yet, this same seemingly-rational person had, very calmly and with every evidence of sincerity, suggested that Clyde take a Beginning Yoga class.

“Yoga is a rigorously-tested technique with centuries of practice behind it; it can help us work through our emotions, both positive and negative, and help us to make peace with ourselves.”

The therapist finished scribbling something on his notepad, then tore off the page, paperclipping it to a colorful flyer with a flower in the middle. 

“Now, there’s a studio just down the road from our center, and that’s their flyer, or you can find another one of your choice. Take this referral that I’ve written for you; most studios give you the first session for free, and if you find the experience helpful, we can look at how to get it covered under your TRICARE as an ancillary therapy.”

Clyde looked at the therapist, then at the paper, then back at the therapist with utter incredulity.

“A beginning yoga class.”

“I believe you’ll find it beneficial in both social and emotional terms. We can discuss how your first class went when we meet tomorrow,” he concluded, clicking his pen and clipping it to his notepad.

A sigh slipped out of Clyde before he could stop it, but the therapist didn’t seem to take offense. 

“If you find, after the first class, that this doesn’t help you in any way, I have other recommendations that we can discuss in our next session. Did you have any further questions for me?”

Clyde shook his head, then stood from the armchair and left the office. 

Mellie had made this IOP a “volunteer or be volun-told” situation after New Years. That had simply capped off a volatile month that had capped off one of the worst years Clyde could ever remember having. Sure, he had some money now, but he’d gone to prison for his brother, and his brother had skipped town and left Clyde twisting in the wind. Then, the new lady who had blown into town after they got the money had left the same way she’d come right after Christmas, wounding Clyde’s heart in the process--just before they found out that she’d been a narc the whole time, and her interest in Clyde had been nothing more than an ‘in.’

It turns out that people notice when your bar isn’t open during open hours on New Year’s Eve, and those people tell your sister, and then she comes to your house and finds out that you haven’t gotten out of bed for three days in a row. Sisters tend not to like that sort of thing, or at least Mellie doesn’t care for it much. What reasons had he had to get out of bed, though? It was safer in his bed than anywhere else. Thankfully, he’d never invited _ Agent Grayson _ over, so at least he didn’t have bad memories intruding there.

Mellie hadn’t gone for it, though, and had given him an ultimatum: he had 48 hours to check himself into an intensive outpatient program, or she would contact the VA and tell them what they needed to hear in order for him to get help. It hadn’t been of any use to argue with her (not that it had _ ever _ been of any use to argue with Mellie), and so he had done as she demanded. 

Today was his fourth day, with a group counseling session for depression, then lunch, and then an individual therapy session. And now, apparently, yoga at the Rainbow Lotus Yoga Studio.

Heaven help him.

Clyde opened the door to the studio, and it was like walking into a different dimension. A scent that could only be described as Christmas spice wafted through the air, and a gaggle of three young women with what looked like bedrolls strapped over their loose tank tops and spandex capris walked by him, chatting and laughing.

“Can I help you?” asked a pleasantly-accented voice. 

Clyde turned around and saw a tall, slender woman behind the counter, her dark hair in three funny-looking buns. Her eyes were a striking hazel, brown dappled with green and gold, like a forest in high summer, and despite the winter, she had a smattering of freckles on her face. Her adorable nose scrunched, and he realized she was expecting him to answer.

“Uh,” he began eloquently. “I was sent here for a yoga class.”

“Oh!” she said, brightening. “We have a beginner’s class that’s due to start in about fifteen minutes?”

“Sure,” he nodded, still a bit overwhelmed. Belatedly, he fumbled for the papers that his therapist had given him, and handed them over.

The woman took them, gave them a quick once-over, and smiled.

“Now, your introductory class is always free of charge, so find me afterwards and we’ll talk about a class pass or a membership, alright?” She handed the papers back to Clyde.

“The class is going to be in the classroom on the left, so you can go on in whenever you’re ready. The men’s locker room is over there--” she gestured behind her to a small hallway-- “I would at least stow your coat, socks, shoes, wallet, and belt; those things will all be in your way in the classroom. If you need a lock, we have a few that we can lend out in exchange for your keys or your ID. If you don’t have a mat and brick, there are plenty in the classroom.”

Her eyes flicked to his prosthesis, and her voice lowered to something more confidential as she leaned toward Clyde, who struggled to keep his eyes on hers.

“It is up to you whether you want to wear that in class or not,” she said softly, indicating his hand. “All yoga poses can be modified, so you shouldn’t have any problems, okay?”

“Oh.” He couldn’t decide whether he was disappointed that she’d noticed at all, or relieved that she’d been so delicate. He wasn’t sure how much attention he wanted to call to himself by asking the teacher to change anything, anyway. “Okay.” 

The classroom was large, dimly lit, and had huge panel mirrors and bar handles on all four walls. The three girls who had been chatting and laughing were seated side-by-side on colorful foam mats, their voices lowered as they continued to enjoy their time together. There was a slender, bespectacled young man on a mat near the front of the room, his legs crossed and his eyes closed as he breathed in and out slowly. A middle-aged woman in the same kind of tank top and capri leggings that seemed to be the uniform breezed into the room, dropping her purse and bag by the door and heading to a small closet in the back. She pulled out a rolled up mat and a folded up blanket, then took a seat near the door and her things. 

That, at least, answered the question of where to get a mat. Clyde followed her example, then set himself up in the back of the room, very quiet and out of the way. Out of nowhere, a tone like a metal windchime sounded three times, and what little noise there was died down. The women arranged themselves into cross-legged sitting poses, breathing in and out like the man was doing, and Clyde simply sat and observed. A moment later, the door opened, and the cute girl from the front desk breezed in.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted the class as she laid out her mat, her voice amplified by a headset. “It’s good to see a mix of new and familiar faces today! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Rey, and I’m the instructor for the Introduction to Yin Yoga class. As some of you may know, Yin Yoga is a discipline that is slow, calm, and meditative, so we’re going to go through about five poses today as the entire half-hour class.”

As she sat in front of the class, her legs crossed and her feet sticking up, she continued.

“As always, you are the only one who can feel your own body. If your body is telling you that a pose isn’t right for you, I encourage you to be mindful of that message. All poses in yoga can be modified for safety and joint support. As we work through these poses today, I will occasionally offer feedback to help you unlock the deeper, meditative qualities of each pose. Also, while each pose has a Sanskrit name that connects us to the deeper spirituality behind the practice, in my introductory courses, I use a descriptive translation; I find it makes this discipline less intimidating for new students. Any questions?”

All the heads in front of Clyde shook, and Rey gave a luminous smile. She stood, walking over to a small panel on the wall and fiddling with the knobs. Gentle vocalizations and chimes floated into the room, and then she returned to her seat.

“Today, I would like to get started in what’s called Easy Pose; if you are a more advanced yogi, but are new to the practice of Yin Yoga, you may find yourself more comfortable in Lotus or Half-Lotus, and that’s fine. I invite you to breathe in and out with me as we settle into our bodies, into our awareness. As you continue your yogic practice over time, it becomes a way for you to both ground yourself fully in the world and to reach for something beyond it.”

The class breathed quietly for a long moment, hearing the voices and chimes, then Rey spoke again.

“As we move through today’s practice, I invite you to set an intention to guide your experience today. This sequence that we are about to do was created with simplicity in mind, so you might wish to set an intention to allow the poses to simplify something in your way of being and perceiving. Yin Yoga is a passive practice that is more about being open than about doing any one thing in particular; so, alternatively, you could set an intention to be open during this session, and see what flows through you when we check back in at the end of the class. Let us breathe together, and set our individual intentions.”

Clyde didn't really understand what that meant, and was almost afraid to ask. The words were clear enough, but how did one go about 'setting an intention'? After struggling into a cross-legged position, then pondering it for almost 30 seconds, he decided that if the theme was simplicity, he was overthinking it. 

A metallic chime sounded.

“To allow ourselves to open fully to the wisdom of yoga, each center of energy in your body must be opened and refreshed. We will begin from the bottom up, with a head-to-knee forward fold. Uncross your legs, allowing them to sit open in a V shape; you should feel your sit bones pressing into the mat. Your hands should be resting lightly on your thighs or the floor, and your back should be straight. Take a deep breath, and bring your right heel in to the top of your inner left thigh. Exhale, and gently twist to center your chest in line with your left leg.

“Inhale, bringing up your body nice and tall, and bring your arms up, palms facing each other. Exhale, and gently bend your torso over your left leg. Your hands can rest next to your knee, or you can rest your forearms on top of your thigh. Keep your spine straight, not arched or flexed. This means that you may not be able to bend far, especially if you’re new to this, and that’s okay! As you hold this pose and breathe, the inhale might pull you out of this pose a little, while the exhale will deepen the pose.”

Clyde, who was immediately thankful he’d listened to Rey’s advice about his belt, looked around, disappointed at not being able to bend very far at all--until Rey caught his gaze and flashed him a brilliant smile. What was he doing, again?

“Make sure to keep your spine straight, and not to let your core muscles wilt; you should feel this stretch at the very tip of your tailbone.”

Three minutes went by in a blink, then she talked him through switching to the other side and repeating the pose.

_ Not you, not _ just _ you, the whole class, dummy! _ he berated himself. _ Are you some kind of glutton for punishment or something? _

He frowned, and tried to refocus, without success.

“Slowly, allow your inhalations to raise you back up to a sitting position; don’t rush through anything in Yin Yoga! From the V, bring your legs back to center, then bend your knees until they are at a right angle. Gently, slowly, with your breath, allow your knees to gently fall to the sides until the soles of your feet touch, allowing them to press against one another for balance. If your knees do not reach the floor, that is okay; if they are uncomfortable, you can grab a brick and place one under each knee.”

Rey made clockwise motions with her hand, illustrating her lower abdomen and low back.

“The traditional butterfly pose is great for opening the hips and the pelvis, allowing increased blood flow into the muscles and joints and removing muscle waste products. Tuck your belly in; you don’t want to let your spine arch like this, or round. If you find your back out of alignment, grab a folded blanket to sit on.”

She stood, and began to walk around the class, observing each person’s posture, offering gentle touches and whispers of encouragement. As she approached Clyde, she knelt beside him, placing a pair of foam blocks on the floor, then touched his shoulder, raising her mic. 

“Do you need supports for your knees?” she whispered. 

He stiffened, as if she were a drill sergeant doing inspections, and her sunshine face frowned.

“Relax; there’s no judgment here. You’re doing well. Breathe and be open, ” she soothed, her tone gentle. She gave him an encouraging smile, then stood and continued her rounds.

“Breathe deeply,” she told the group, “and allow your inner thigh muscles to stretch out as your body releases the tension it’s used to holding.”

He was surprised to feel disappointment as she walked back to the front of the classroom, settling back on her mat and into her own fluid butterfly.

“If you want to deepen this pose, bend at the hips and lean forward. Your spine should round, not be held stiff or arched in.” 

Clyde watched her lean forward, all lithe strength and willowy limbs, and his jaw went slack.

“Check in with your nearest mirror, to make sure that your spine is aligned with your pose. You may also find that your knees have worked their way a bit further down as your body has released its tension; this is exactly what you want to have happen.”

She stayed in the pose for another long moment before encouraging everyone to raise out of the pose with their breath, and come to a kneeling position on the mat. She turned her own mat perpendicular to the class.

“Our next pose is the Dragon. Bring your left leg out in front of you, keeping the knee aligned over the ankle. You may either place hands or fists on each side of your left ankle, or rest your forearms on your left thigh. Slowly, walk your right foot back until you can rest on the top part of your right kneecap, honoring your body’s limitations; if the stretch is too intense, you can walk your left foot back or your right foot forward. Be careful not to extend the left knee in front of the ankle.”

The sudden, sharp pull on the front of his right leg and against the inseam of his jeans almost took Clyde’s breath away, and he wobbled, unsteady on his knee and fighting to stay upright. In the blink of an eye, Rey was out of her own pose and beside him, steadying his shoulders, as she continued to talk to the others through the pose.

“Is it okay if I work with you on this pose?” she asked, her mic held away from her face.

He nodded, his jaw flexing as he colored invisibly in the dim room.

Rey put her mic back down, addressing the whole class while using Clyde as a sort of demonstration doll.

“As we work through more poses that call on your left/right balance, remember that there are bars at the mirrors to help,” she said, her voice gentle as she instructed.

She slowly guided him down, providing tiny corrections to his overly stiff and cautious posture, and supporting his balance on the left.

“As you hold this pose, you may feel your hips start to slowly open; if you wish to extend your back leg further, you can, however, this pose is just as effective without further extension.”

She spared a downward glance, and smiled. 

“Very nice,” she hummed, giving his shoulder another gentle pat, then she moved back to the front of the class and resumed her own Dragon.

“If you want to increase the intensity, you can turn your left foot out at a forty-five degree angle, then slowly roll your left foot to the outside, resting on the outer edge, but being careful to keep your knee in alignment with your ankle.”

She talked the class through the opposite leg, and Clyde, suitably careful the second time around, was rather pleased with himself for not needing the bar--and strangely disappointed at not needing Rey’s assistance.

“Our next pose will be Melting Heart pose, which opens the heart chakra. There are two variations of this pose that I’m going to go through today, both traditional and modified; if you’re having problems with your wrists, shoulders, or neck, hold off on the traditional pose, and go grab a blanket and a brick if you don’t already have one.”

Clyde stood and walked over to the closet to grab one of the blankets, and suddenly found himself in a bit of a pickle. As Rey demonstrated the pose, she started on all fours, then slid forward, raising her absolutely perfect backside in the air as her face gradually went down to the mat. In fact, the trio of girlfriends on the mats in front of his _ also _ had nice rear ends, though not as cute as the instructor’s.

He hurried back to his mat, sitting down as quickly as he could, and trying (and failing) to keep his eyes off of Rey. He’d come here for therapy, not to be a creep or a pervert! Unfortunately, parts of him were stirring up that evidently hadn’t gotten that memo. He screwed his traitorous eyes shut and breathed, doing his best to think about anything else--the inventory of his bar, multiplication tables, _ anything... _

A full minute of torture went by, maybe more, as Clyde willed his body back under control, the increasingly heavy silence finally broken by a giggle that escaped from in front of him. His eyes flew open, prepared for the worst, but Rey was standing at the front of the class, smiling.

“For those of you who have been waiting, thank you; in modified Melting Heart, arrange the folded blanket in the middle of the mat for back support, and put a brick where your head will be. Lie down, with your middle and low back supported by the blanket.” She turned her attention back to the front of the classroom. “For the yogis who are in traditional Melting Heart, switch which ear is pressed to the mat; we don’t want the other side of your neck cramping!” 

She stopped at the other woman’s mat to help her adjust her back support and knees, then walked toward Clyde.

“For the yogis who are performing the modified pose, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor, and then rest your head on the brick.”

Clyde obeyed, and his eyes opened to see Rey, smiling above him. He smiled in spite of his jumbled-up feelings, and she turned to address the front as she continued to calmly walk around the classroom. 

“For my traditional Melting Heart yogis, come out of this pose into Cat and Cow or Hero pose, yogi’s choice. Work with these poses for the next few minutes, holding your Cat and Cow for ten to fifteen seconds each.”

“For those of you who are in the modified Melting Heart, raise your arms in the air, with your fingers pointed toward the ceiling, and then slowly allow your shoulders to rotate, so that your arms are resting on the floor with your palms facing up. Breathe through this pose, and feel your chest gradually begin to open, freeing your heart from the armor that you wear to protect it.”

A shiver ran through Clyde; something in her words had struck an already-raw nerve. He felt wide open… too wide open. Exposed.

“Breathe slowly and deeply; if you feel yourself struggling against a pose, acknowledge that feeling. Sit with it a moment. Then thank the feeling and breathe through it; allow it to pass like a cloud against the blue sky.”

A trilling chime distracted Clyde’s attention, and as he tried to take a deep breath and return to his feelings, he realized that his alarm had died down a little.

Maybe there was something to this, after all, humiliating near-misses notwithstanding.

“Gently bring your arms back down to your sides, then roll to one side to remove the supports from underneath your back and neck,” Rey instructed, while turning her mat parallel to the class once more. “Once that’s done, lie on your belly, and stretch your legs out behind you, with your toes pointed at the wall behind you. Bend your arms, lining up your elbows beneath your shoulders, and rest on your forearms, with your palms flat against the mat. Push your shoulders back, opening your chest and throat, and resting your weight on your elbows and forearms, not in your hands or wrists. The Sphinx is noble and regal, full of wisdom. Tap into the wisdom of your inner voice, and be open to positive guidance.”

As your body elongates, some of you may wish to move into Seal pose, and that is fine; remember to keep breathing, feeling the flow of the breath through the throat.”

Clyde had no idea what Seal pose was, but, as he took a deep breath in and felt the middle of his back pop and release, he had to admit that this felt pretty good. 

“From here, raise up, then pull your knees hip-width apart,” Rey instructed, “keeping your heels together, so that your legs make a V. Slowly sit back on your heels, placing a brick or blanket between your calves if the pose puts any stress on your knees.”

Clyde struggled to follow her instructions as his jeans strained to contain his folded thighs.

_ This must be why everyone wears those ridiculous spandex pants, _ he grumbled in his head, trying to figure out how to adjust his jeans without anyone _ (Rey) _ getting the wrong idea. He quickly gave up, raising back up to his knees and stuffing the rolled-up blanket between his calves before trying again, with marginally better success.

“You may be tempted to pull yourself into a deeper pose; resist the temptation! Your body will deepen this pose all on its own when it has released its tension and is ready to. Keep your breathing slow, deep, and steady, and let your body and gravity do the rest.”

How long was he supposed to stay down here? He couldn’t see a thing and felt like he was strangling in his clothes to boot! He looked up as surreptitiously as he could; the rest of the class were all bent forward, their arched backs slowly filling and emptying, and he lowered his head with a grumble; this was the most awkward he’d felt in years, and after the past year, that was saying something.

“In Child’s pose, the goal is to eventually be able to touch your forehead to the floor, grounding your Third Eye chakra; again, though, don’t pull your body into that. Let the pose come naturally to your body.”

_ Fat chance of that, _Clyde thought grumpily. He couldn’t wait for this one to be over.

“Return to a seated position; if you are uncomfortable or experience any lower back pain, place a folded blanket underneath you.”

He huffed, anticipating the frustration of struggling to cross his legs again--only to be astonished at how much easier it was this time.

“Again, some of you might prefer Lotus or Half-Lotus, and that’s fine, yogi’s choice.”

Rey walked over to the knobs on the wall, lowering the lighting.

“As you inhale, feeling the breath as it moves down your spine, I invite you to return to the intention you set today, whether it was openness, simplicity, or a different intention.” She sat, both feet peeking up over her thighs, and continued serenely. “In what ways did you fulfill your intention? What proved challenging? Is your intention now still the same as it was when we began this practice today? Inhale. Embrace yourself in the spirit of loving forgiveness for any part of your practice that did not meet your expectations. Exhale, and release that thought, that energy, back into the universe.”

_ Today’s ‘practice,’ _ Clyde thought dazedly, _ had been _ anything _ but _simple. He breathed in and out slowly, trying to let go of not meeting his own expectations--not that he’d known he even had any!

“As you reflect on your practice today, I want for each of you to think about a moment that spoke to you on a heart-deep or soul-deep level. Does it bring you any insight? Reflect on it with each inhalation, and release it with gratitude on each exhalation.”

There was a long pause, and several intermittent chimes, as the class continued in silence. 

“When you feel ready, please lie down supine, or on your back, on the mat. Take a deep breath, and feel your limbs go slack, as we end the class with the traditional Corpse pose.”

A shudder ran through Clyde; he’d seen too many corpses to want to imitate one, cute instructor or not. With a frown, he stood up and walked out of the classroom, missing Rey’s perplexed pout at his retreating back.

He was waiting for her at the counter when the class was over; she had his keys, after all, in exchange for the lock. Her voice was almost mournful, her liquid eyes downcast.

“Are… are you alright?”

A feeling of guilt, one he knew he’d done nothing to earn, washed over him at the sadness and hesitation in her gentle voice.

“Is it really called Corpse pose?” he asked, trying to make her understand as kindly as possible.

She cocked her head, confused.

“_ Savasana? _ Yes… _ ‘sava’ _ is the Sanskrit for corpse, and _ ‘asana’ _ is the Sanskrit for ‘position’ or ‘pose.’ Its purpose is to help a yogi cease struggling and holding on to the stresses of the day, or of their yoga practice, by putting them in a mindful state of relaxation and ease.”

“Oh,” Clyde frowned, a protective numbness slowly rising to swallow his disappointment. “Well, thanks for explaining it. May I have my keys?”

Her frown as she took the locker key and opened her cabinet was the look of a woman trying to complete a puzzle that was several missing pieces, and Clyde felt the first pricklings of irritation. He was tired of feeling like a puzzle to be solved, or a person with missing pieces--never mind that he was missing a piece of himself.

“Before you go, may I have a few more minutes of your time?” she asked hesitantly, his keys dangling from her slender fingers. “I’d like to ask you something in a more private place.”

She tipped her head toward the now-vacant studio, the question on her face. Clyde kept his sigh in his chest; she looked so eager that it was hard to tell her no, and deep down, he wanted her to just _ understand. _ He held out his hand to let her go first.

“After you.”

She walked back into the studio, and sat down on the floor, gesturing for him to sit beside her, and he reluctantly folded himself onto the floor once again.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t anticipate that asana affecting you negatively,” she began. “I did my best to modify the rest of the series I had planned to accommodate your arm, but I didn’t really think about _ why _ it might be injured. Regardless of whether you plan to return--and I would understand not wanting to return to a place where you felt uncomfortable--would you be willing to tell me whether it was purely negative feelings about the translated name? Or is it the concept of a passive pose while lying flat on your back?”

“It was mostly the name, sort of,” he began, trying to figure out how to explain it on the fly when he had a difficult time expressing his feelings during daily planned appointments. “I’ve never even _ thought _ about yoga before in my life, other than as something that hippies do--no offense--so, when my... my therapist sent me here, I didn’t know what to expect. It was a bad surprise in a moment where I already have no idea what I’m doing…”

He took a breath, and was pleased to hear that it wasn’t as shaky as he felt. 

“Look. I’m a simple man who came home from Iraq missing a hand and who runs a bar in the middle of nowhere. I’m way outside my wheelhouse here.”

She smiled, though he thought he could see her eyes shining suspiciously.

“I’m an orphaned kid from the streets of London who was lucky not to be up the duff at fifteen. Yoga was way outside of my wheelhouse too, as you put it, and I don’t say that to compare my pain to yours, just… just to say that you don’t have to be a posh hippie or a perfect angel to be a yogi. Yoga saved my life when I was at my lowest, and, alongside therapy, helps me to work through the trauma of my past.” 

She chewed her lip as she shifted on her mat, clearly debating something.

“You have to do what is best for you, always, but… if you’re willing to give me another chance, I’d like to help. You don’t have to answer me now, but will you at least take a schedule and think about it?”

Clyde smiled, a little more melancholy melting away.

“Sure.”


End file.
